Horan may be USWNT's MVP in World Cup of transition - ESPN

The U.S. women's national team have begun the World Cup as the favorites to once again defend their crown after winning four years ago in France. The players who emerged victorious in that tournament will forever be acknowledged for their remarkable contributions, but as the summer competition unfolds, a transformation is taking place within the squad's composition.

Only nine players from the 2019 squad were retained and will feature in 2023. Although injuries played their part in preventing certain players from being selected, it is still a relatively inexperienced squad. Becky Sauerbrunn, Catarina Macario and Mallory Swanson will miss out because of long-term injuries; Carli Lloyd retired from international duty; others were simply not selected due to age or form, replaced by newer counterparts. This puts a bigger emphasis on the experience of the retained players to lead their younger teammates such as Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson and Sophia Smith, who are navigating their way through their first major tournament.

Enter Lindsey Horan.

Few players capture the imagination on the pitch the way she does. The Lyon midfielder has entered this World Cup as the engine and leader of the midfield in what looks to be a new, era-defining time for the USWNT. Given the changes in the squad and the lack of stress testing, Horan must be a multifaceted player who can come up with solutions for any problem they face and counteract the variety of styles they will come up against.

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Horan might just be the most important player for the USWNT at the World Cup. Here's why.

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